Hand printer



0ct. 11, 1966 H. T. BERKLAND HAND PRINTER Filed March 6, 1964 b j. l 1 a b, M 6 A M n W L .JL 5C W QV., IJ/ Y. .Y Ml, C im o -/,c IJ o o o v Pm o o o O .1 Y c o o v o U i Q`. o o o d o V.1 Y: j 2 Oo United States Patent O 3,277,819 HAND PRINTER Harold T. erkland, Prospect Heights, lill., assigner to Weber Marking Systems, llnc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 349,842 11 Claims. (Cl. 101-12S) This invention `relates to a new and improved hand printer.

Hand printers employing numerous processes have been and are used for the purpose of imprinting. One of the common types of hand printers is the rubber stamp wherein rubber type is set in a holder and the operator, by means of a handle, first applies pressure to an inked pad and then subsequently impresses the inked rubber type onto a surface to receive the printing. One of the printing processes oftentimes used in a hand stamp is a silk screen type of printing wherein a silk or nylon fabric is painted to cover the fine pores over all of the surface area of the fabric excepting the lettered or designed portion. Such a stamp may be equipped with an ink reservoir behind the silk screen fabric and by impressing the stamp onto a receiving surface, ink ows from the reservoir through the unpainted portions of the silk screen and thereby imprints the receiving surface with the indicia or design which appears on the silk screen fabric. An important printing process used is the stencil imprinting method wherein the hand stamp is provided with an ink reservoir and therebeneath a compressible pad through which the ink from the reservoir may flow. Beneath the pad which is usually covered with -a relatively coarse fabric there is placed a cut stencil. The type of stencil employed may vary and may be of the simple cut-out type or as intended in the present process, the stencil employed may be of a generally wax coated type which may be inscribed by any means such as a typewriter or other mechanisms to cause the wax to be removed from just desired portions of the stencil. The stencil thus acts in much the same manner as the painted silk screen in permitting ink to ilow through the cut portions. The stencil paper is preferably made with a tough porous tissue base such as Japanese Yoshino paper. Over this base tissue material there is placed a wax-like coating. Stencils and stencil hand stamps have been used for many years. A combination stencil imprinting hand stamp and a silk screen hand stamp is shown in the copending application of Richard R. Wolfram, Serial No. 301,725, now abandoned, which has the same assignee as applicant herein.

The present invention relates to a novel hand stamp in which there is employed a combination silk screen imprinting portion and a stencil imprinting portion.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel hand stamp having a single ink reservoir for a first silk screen imprinting portion and a second spaced apart stencil imprinting portion.

Another important object of this invention is to supply a single hand stamp having two imprinting compressible pad portions in which one pad portion is provided with a finely meshed silk screen covering for imprinting therethrough and the second pad portion is provided with -a generally coarse fabric covering to simultaneously cause adherence of the stencil and uniformly feed ink over the full surface of the stencil positioned thereover.

Another and further important object of this invention is to provide a novel means of dividing a hand imprinting stamp into plural sections and having a common ink reservoir for separately feeding both sections.

Still `another important object of this invention is to provide a novel stencil clamping means positioned over one of plural portions of a hand stamp in a manner to 3,277,819 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 firmly hold the stencil to the one portion and to prevent the stencil from covering any of the other plural imprinting portions of the hand stamp.

Other and further important objects and advantages will become apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hand stamp of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the bottom imprinting portions of the hand stampI as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a portion of the ink dispersing member of the hand stamp of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the hand stamp of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view through the stamp 'portion of the hand stamp of this invention and more particularly as taken on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 1.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally la rectangular frame having downwardly turned side walls 10a and end walls 10b. The frame 10 may be formed of a material such as stainless steel, The central portion of the frame 10 is provided with an opening over which a bottle adapter 11 is secured. The bottle adapter 11 comprises a recess which is threaded to receive the open end of an ink supplying bottle 12. The bottle 12 is preferably formed 'of a relatively soft plastic material which is easily compressible, and which when released, will tend to assume its natural shape.

A plate 15 formed of an elastomer material such as rubber is cemented to the underside of the frame 10. The plate 15 is rectangular in shape and is substantially equal in dimension to the surface on the underside of the frame 10. The center portion of the plate 15 is provided with a hole 15a through which ink may pass from the bottle 12 into the stamp. A complementary cooperative separator or weir 16 also formed of an elastomer material such as rubber combines with the elastomer plate 15 to provide a means for dispersing ink from the bottle 12 throughout the full rectangular shape of the hand stamp. A somewhat similar hand hand stamp showing ink dispersing mechanism is shown in the copending application `of Guy M. Vosburg, Serial No. 172,474, now Patent No. 3,172,356, having the same assignee Ias applicant herein.

The separator or weir 16 is substantially rectangular in shape with the length and width being substantially identical to that of the plate member 15. The upper side of the weir plate 16 as shown in both of FIGURES 3 and 5 is formed with spaced apart longitudinally disposed series of integral ribs 16a and 16b. The longitudinally disposed series of ribs 16a and 16b are arranged in vertical columns generally parallel with opposite end walls 10b of the supporting frame. Ribs of the corresponding series 16a and 16h are generally aligned but spaced apart on the weir plate 16. Transversely disposed aligned integral ribs 16C are provided intermediate the longitudinally disposed series of ribs 16a and 16h. The ribs 16C are spaced apart -but are generally axially aligned and disposed in the center of the weir plate 16. A plurality of regularly spaced apart small holes 16d are provided in the weir plate 16 and permit the passage of ink from the chamber defined between the complementary ink dispersing plates 1S and 16. All of the ribs 16a, 16h and 16C are located between the regularly spaced apart small holes 16d and project upwardly as shown in FIGURE 5 for substantially sealing engagement with the underside of the complementary plate 15. The ribs taper from a relatively wide bottom portion blocks the to a narrow top as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. Thus, ink from the squeeze bottle 12 passes downwardly through an opening in the supporting structure and thence, through a center opening in the plate 15 whereupon it is admitted to a central portion 16e of the weir plate 16. It is from this position that the ink is caused to be dispersed over the full rectangular surface of the plates 15 and 16 by reason of the ribs 16a, 16b and 16e which form dams to cause the ink to travel in intermediate passageways until the ink is spread throughout the full surface of the stamp and thereupon ink is delivered outwardly through each of the small holes 16d to the underside of the plate 16 which as shown in FIGURE 5, is adapted to have compressible pad members disposed directly thereagainst. The ribs prevent the sudden llow if ink in the chamber defined between the top plate 15 and bottom plate 16 to any corner or side thereof when the hand stamp is tipped or turned over on its side or end. Thus, the hand stamp of this invention is capable of reproducing indicia on the stamp with uniform quantities of ink.

As Ibest shown in FIGURES 1 and 5, thumb nuts 17, disposed on top of the supporting structure 10, are adapted to threadedly engage screws 17a. The screws 17a pass upwardly through the cooperative ink dispersing plates 15 and 16 and thence upwardly through the frame 10 where they are engaged by the thumb nuts 17. The screws and nuts cause the hand stamp structure with the ink dispersing mechanism to be made unitary with the supporting structure.

The present hand stamp includes a rst compressible ink pervious rubber pad 18 with a silk or nylon fabric 19 as a screen covering therefor. The silk or nylon fabric is a nely meshed material which is used in a printing process customarily termed silk screen printing process. As shown in FIGURE 4, the portion 19a of the silk screen covering 19 is painted to conceal and block off the pores of the finely meshed fabric and thereby halt the passage of ink from the compressible pad 18 to the surface to `be imprinted. The unpainted portion 19b of the silk screen represents the indicia or design to be reproduced by that portion of the hand stamp of this invention. The silk screen covering 19 preferably encloses the bottom and sides of the generally rectangularly shaped compressible ink pervious rubber pad 18. The pad 18 is provided with a number of spots of cement 20 to hold it to the underside of a portion of the weir plate 16. The pad 18 is quite porous in nature and thus permits ink to ow from the dispersing chamber between the plates 15 and 16 down through the small holes 16d and thence through the porous pad -18 out to the silk screen covering 19. It is at this point that the painted passage of ink and the unpainted portion permits ink to pass through the silk screen 19. Thus, when the hand stamp is impressed on a material to receive the indicia of the silk screen 19, the indicia or design 19b will be regularly and uniformly reproduced by virtue of the ink being extruded through the finely meshed silk screen fabric.

The stamp of this invention comprises a second compressible ink pervious rubbed pad 21 which has its bottom and sides enclosed by a relatively coarse fabric covering 22. Again, as for pad 18 the compressible pad 21 is generally rectangular in shape and its uncovered upper portion is attached by means of numerous small spots of cement 23 to the underside of another portion of the weir plate 16. The other portion is spaced apart from the portion receiving the attachment of the compressible pad 18. However, Iboth compressible rubber pads receive ink from the single source of supply in the dispersing chamber between the plates 15 and 16 as it moves downwardly through the bottom opening holes 16d.

An ink impervious strip of rubber 24, somewhat harder and denser than the compressible pads 18 and 21, fills the space between the pads 18 and 21 and completes the covering of the entire undersurface of the weir plate 16. Thus, the holes 16d which are located directly above the strip 24 are sealed against ink passing downwardly therethrough. The top of the rubber strip 24 is cemented at 25 to the underside of the weir plate 16 while the sides of the strip 24 directly abut the compressible pads 13 and 21.

The supporting structure or frame 10 is provided with spaced apart hinge brackets 26 and 27 which project outwardly from opposite ends of one side 10a thereof. The hinge bracket 26 is provided with a transversely disposed hole 26a while the .bracket 27 is similarly provided with a transversely disposed hole 27a. The spaced holes 26a and 27a are in axial alignment one with the other and constitute the hinge axis of a wire clamping frame designated generally by the numeral 28.

The wire clamping frame 28 is provided with ends 29 and 30 which cooperatively engage the holes 26a and 27a respectively and constitute the hinge support of the wire frame on the supporting structure 10. From the hinged ends 29 and 30 the wire frame is looped down and around forming spaced apart parallel end portions 31 and 32 which closely flank the end walls 10b of the frame 10. A longitudinally disposed cross member 33 is joined at its ends to the end portions 31 and 32 at the position of the relatively hard rubber dividing strip 24 between the two compressiblepads 18 and 21. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 5, the wire frame cross member 33 is disposed above the lower surface of both compressible pads 18 and 21 and acts in cooperation with the separator strip 24 to hold a stencil in position on the compressible pad 21 in a manner to be subsequently described. The wire frame 28 is thence bent inwardly at the far side of the hand stamp forming inwardly projecting portions 34 and 35. The inner ends of these portions 34 and 35 are thence bent upwardly and joined by a tie member or clip 36 as shown in FIGURE 5. The upwardly extending portions form a hand engaging loop 37 by which the wire frame may be effectively swung about its hinge mountings at the other side of the hand stamp. An offset or bend 37a is provided in the loop 37. The offset or ledge 37a forms a locking means for the wire frame over the top of the rectangularly shaped frame 10 of this hand stamp. When it is desired to swing the wire frame about its hinge mountings, the hand engaging loop 37 is sprung outwardly causing the bent portion 37a to clear the top surface of the frame 10 and thus permit downward swinging of the frame from the hand loop 37 about the hinges 26, 26a and 29; and 27, 27a and 30.

The coarsely meshed fabric 22 covering the compressible pad 21 causes substantial adherence of a stencil sheet 38. The stencil sheet is preliminan'ly cut with the indicia desired to be reproduced and thereafter placed on the underside of the pad 21. An impression of the hand stamp of this invention thus simultaneously causes an imprinting by two separate printing media, namely the silk screen 19 and the stencil 38 with but a single source of ink in the hand stamp. As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the stencil 38 is snugly clamped to a position around the pad 21 by the end flanking members 31 and 32 and the cross member 33 which draws in the inner end of the stencil sheet 38 to a position above the imprinting surface of both the silk screen pad 18 and the stencil pad 21.

In the operation of this invention, ink is supplied to the squeeze bottle 12 whereupon it travels down into the ink dispersing chamber between the plates 15 and 16 for the ultimate purpose of feeding the separate compressible pads 18 and 21. Repeated impressions of the hand stamp will cause an imprinting of the indicia of both the silk screen 19 and the stencil 38. The hand stamp of this invention is'particularly suited to printing indicia wherein one portion is generally fixed while another portion is changed. The silk screen provides indicia which may be imprinted over and over again while that indicia appearing on the stencil 38 may be readily changed merely by putting on a new stencil by unlocking the wire frame 28 and removing the old stencil and replacing it with a new stencil in a similar position and refastening the latch 37a of the wire frame over the top and front of the hand stamp. In this manner a new stencil is arranged in the stamp and ready to be printed along with the generally fixed silk screen indicia.

Numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principle disclosed herein and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A printing device comprising a supporting structure, single ink supply means on said supporting structure, an inked surface, means receiving ink from said supply means and dispersing ink over said surface, a first compressible ink pervious pad fastened to and covering a portion of said surface, a second spaced apart compressible ink pern vious pad fastened to and covering another portion of said surface, an ink impervious rubber strip filling the space intermediate the spaced apart ink pervious pads and completing the full covering of the ink feeding surface, a silk screen cover for said first ink pervious pad for imprinting indicia on said silk screen, and a relatively coarse fabric covering for said second ink pervious pad for receiving a stencil thereover for imprinting indicia on said stencil, and both of said pads receiving ink from said single ink supply means.

2. A hand stamp for imprinting comprising a rectangularly shaped supporting structure, a single source of ink on said supporting structure, a first rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad on said supporting structure in communication wit-h said single source of ink, a second rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad on said supporting structure in communication with said single source of ink, an ink impervious strip acting to separate said rectangularly shaped pads and to fully seal said single source of ink except for communication with the two pads, means covering said first pad with imprinting means, means covering said second pad with imprinting means, said means covering said first pad comprising a finely meshed fabric having certain portions thereof covered with paint and certain other portions thereof defining indicia and designs which are left unpainted, whereby an impressing of said hand stamp causes an imprinting of the unpainted indicia and design porrtions by virtue of the ink passing through the first ink pervious pad and thence through the finely meshed fabric.

3. A hand stamp for imprinting comprising a rectangularly shaped supporting structure, a single source of ink on said supporting structure, a first rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad on said supporting structure in communication with said single source of ink, a second rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad on said supporting structure -in communication wit-h said single source of ink, an ink impervious strip acting to separate said rectangularly shaped pads and to fully seal said single source of ink except for communication with the two pads, means covering said first pad with imprinting means, means covering said second pad with imprinting means, said means covering said second pad comprising a relatively coarsely meshed fabric means holding a cut stencil on the outside of said second pad over said coarsely meshed fabric whereby when an impression of the hand stamp is made the indicia cut in the stencil is reproduced by virtue of the ink passing through the second ink pervious pad, through the coarsely meshed fabric covering, and through the cut portions of the stencil.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which said means holding a cut stencil comprises a wire frame hinged to one side of said supporting structure and latched to the opposite side of said supporting structure, and said wire frame having a cross member arranged and constructed to engage said ink impervious strip intermediate said ink pervious pads.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which said means holding a cut stencil comprises a rectangularly shaped Wire frame, hinge brackets on one side of said supporting structure, said wire frame hingedly carried in said hinge brackets, said Wire frame offset on its opposite side for spring latching on the opposite side of said supporting structure, and said wire frame having a cross member arranged and constructed to pressingly engage said ink impervious strip intermediate said ink pervious pads.

6. A hand stamp for imprinting comprising a rectangularly shaped supporting structure, a single source of ink on said supporting structure, a first rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad on said supporting structure in communication with said single source of ink, a second rectangularly shaped ink penvious pad on said supporting structure in communication with said single source of ink, an ink impervious strip acting to separate said rectangularly shaped pads and to fully seal said single source of ink except for communication with the two pads, means covering said first pad with imprinting means, means covering said second pad with imprinting means, said means covering said first pad comprising a finely meshed silk screen faibric with indicia thereon, and said means covering sai-d second pad comprising a relatively coarsely meshed fabric, an indicia cut stencil positioned over the coarsely meshed fabric covering the second pad, whereby an impressing of said hand stamp causes an imprinting of the indicia on the lsilk screen and an imprinting of the indicia cut in the stencil.

7. A hand stamp printing device comprising a rectangular frame, an ink reservoir squeeze bottle mounted on one side of said rectangular frame, rectangularly shaped ink dispersing plates mounted on the other side of said rectangular frame and having passageway communication with said ink reservoir squeeze bottle, said `dispersing plates having a plurality of opening in the side thereof away from said rectangular frame for feeding ink therethrough responsive to pressure on said ink reservoir squeeze bottle, a first compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering one portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, a second spaced apart compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering another portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, an ink impervious strip filling the space intermediate the spaced apart ink pervious pads and completing the full covering of the ink feeding underside of said ink dispersing plates, means covering said first ink pervious pad for one imprinting, and means covering said second ink pervious pad for another imprinting.

8. A hand stamp printing device comprising a rectangular frame, an ink reservoir squeeze bottle mounted on one side of said rectangular frame, rectangularly shaped ink dispersing plates mounted on the other side of said rectangular frame and having passageway communication with said ink reservoir squeeze bottle, said dispersing plates having a plurality of openings in the side thereof away from said rectangular frame for feeding ink therethrough, a first compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering one portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, a second spaced apart compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering another portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, an ink impervious strip filling the spa-ce intermediate the spaced apart ink pervious pads and completing the full covering of the ink feeding underside of said ink dispersing plates, means covering said -first ink pervious pad for one imprinting, means covering said second ink pervious pad for another imprinting, and said means covering said second pad comprising a relatively coarsely meshed fabric to receive a cut stencil.

9. A hand stamp printing device comprising a rectangular frame, an ink reservoir squeeze fbottle mounted on one side of said rectangular frame, rectangularly shaped ink dispersing plates mounted on the other side of said rectangular frame and having passageway communication with said ink reservoir squeeze bottle, said dispersing plates having a plurality of openings in the side thereof away from said rectangular frame for feeding ink therethrough, a first compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering one portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, a second spaced apart compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened tov and covering another porition of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, an

ink impervious strip filling the space intermediate the spaced apart ink pervious pads and completing the full covering of Ithe ink feeding under side of said ink dispersing plates, means covering said first ink pervious pad for one imprinting, means covering said second ink pervious pad for another imprintingpand said means covering said tirst pad comprising a finely meshed silk screen fabric.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9 and further in which said means covering said second pad comprises a relatively coarsely meshed fabric to receive a cut stencil.

11. A hand stamp printing device comprising a rectangular frame, an ink reservoir squeeze bottle mounted on one side of said rectangular frame, rectangularly shaped ink dispersing plates mounted on the other side of said rectangular frame and having passageway cornmunication with said ink reservoir squeeze bottle, said dispersing plates having a plurality of openings in the side thereof away from said rectangular frame for feeding ink therethrough, a first compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering one portion of the lunderside of said ink dispersing plates, a second spaced apart compressible rectangularly shaped ink pervious pad fastened to and covering another portion of the underside of said ink dispersing plates, an ink impervious strip filling the space intermediate the spaced apart ink pervious pads and completing the full covering of the ink feeding underside of said ink dispersing plates, means covering said first ink pervious pad for one imprinting, means covering said second ink perlvious pad for another imprinting, said means covering said second pad including a relatively coarsely meshed fabric and clamping means for causing a cut stencil to -be securely held to said hand stamp over said second ink pervious pad, said clamping means comprising a wire frame hinged to one side of said rectangular frame and latched to the opposite side of said rectangular frame, and said wire frame having a cross member arranged `and constructed to engage said ink impervious strip intermediate said ink pervious pads.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. H. P. EWELL, Assistant Examiner. 

7. A HAND STAMP PRINTING DEVICE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME, AN INK RESERVOIR SQUEEZE BOTTLE MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID RECTANGULAR FRAME, RECTANGULARLY SHAPED INK DISPERSING PLATES MOUNTED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID RECTANGULAR FRAME AND HAVING PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INK RESERVOIR SQUEEZE BOTTLE, SAID DISPERSING PLATES HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENING IN THE SIDE THEREOF AWAY FROM SAID RECTRANGULAR FRAME FOR FEEDING INK THERETHROUGH RESPONSIVE TO PRESSURE ON SAID INK RESERVOIR SQUEEZE BOTTLE, A FIRST COMPRESSIBLE RECTANGULARLY SHAPED INK PERVIOUS PAD FASTENED TO AND COVERING ONE PORTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID INK DISPERSING PLATES, A SECOND SPACED APART COMPRESSIBLE RECTANGULARLY SHAPED INK PREVIOUS PAD FASTENED TO AND COVERING ANOTHER PORTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID INK DISPERSING PLATES, AN INK IMPERVIOUS STRIP FILLING THE SPACE INTERMEDIATE THE SPACED APART INK PERVIOUS PADS AND COMPLETING THE FULL COVERING OF THE INK FEEDING UNDERSIDE OF SAID INK DISPERSING PLATES, MEANS COVERING SAID FIRST INK PERVIOUS PAD FOR ONE IMPRINTING, AND MEANS COVERING SAID SECOND INK PERVIOUS PAD FOR ANOTHER IMPRINTING. 